Shout out to Churchwell...Hola, Barcelona!

This past weekend, Saturday through Tuesday (okay, weekends here are more like guidelines), I traveled to the lovely Barcelona with my friend Agata.  We haven't spent as much time together recently as we had at the beginning of the semester, so I was really looking forward to being with her.  We were also luckily on the same page about conserving our limited financial resources... So we started our trip with backpacks stuffed to maximum capacity with snacks and sandwiches...everything ranging from apples, bananas, granola bars, and carrots to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and leftovers for lunch.  Luckily, our hostel had a refrigerator, so we were able to pack lunches and snacks every day, and only bought dinners out.  Woo!

We stayed at the Backpacker's BCN Hostel (where Alexi stayed just a week and a half earlier!) and it was one of the nicest, cleanest experiences I have had.  I don't think I've been in a bathroom quite that nice since I came to Europe.  (Note: I share a bathroom here with three boys and two girls, none of whom seem to understand the concept of cleaning up after themselves, despite the eight thousand notes I've posted above the toilet. GRRR.)

In a nutshell, here was our agenda:

Saturday, November 5

5:50 a.m. -- woke up
6:45 a.m. -- hopped on bikes, in the dark, to make our way over to Centraal Station
7:11 a.m. -- train to airport
9:05 a.m. -- after the most ridiculous EasyJet boarding nonsense, we departed for Barcelona
(When you fly EasyJet, you check in and go through security, and then sit in this massive waiting area until the screens show your gate, and then RUN to the gate to be first in line.  Then more checking in and more waiting.  Then, they open the door and everyone runs in this hilarious free for all to the stairs at the front and back of the plane.  It's one of the more ridiculous systems I've seen.)
11:30 a.m. -- arrived in Barcelona, take bus to our hostel neighborhood...Spanish officially in use!

Rest of the Day:
-walked to Casa Battlo, bought tickets for another day because they were closing
-walked to Casa Mila, another of Gaudi's incredible creations (rooftop view of Barcelona and the Mediterranean!)
-walked to La Segura Familia, which is MASSIVE.  The church is still under construction, and the tallest piece is not even there yet.  It seemed to me, after seeing four of his most famous creations, that Gaudi's style is contemporary even for today, so I can hardly imagine the reactions of the community in the early 1900s, especially with the church.
-began our 2 and a half hour search for dinner, which ended with exhaustion and stumbling into an Asian restaurant... Barcelona is known for its fantastic world cuisine, so we didn't feel too weird about our choice in dining.  The food was delicious, and MUCH appreciated after a long day of travel and walking walking walking.
-in bed by 10:30 p.m. (thank goodness)

View from the roof of Casa Mila

Chimney rooftop

View from the roof -- the massive structure in the upper left is La Segura Familia

Side of the roof...crazy!

La Segura Familia

Adorable child...I couldn't help it.

Sunday, November 6

-woke up and ate some tasty sandwiches
-took the metro from nearby our hostel to the Arc de Triumph
-walked to the Chocolate Museum (Museu Xocolata), where we learned about the history of cocoa and got to see a whole room of chocolate art creations!  We were greatly appreciative for the bar of dark chocolate that came with our tickets.
-walked to the Picasso Museum, where we stood in a massive line to get in for free.  Worth the wait, for sure.  I loved seeing the progression of his style and noting the points where impressionism first made it into his works, influencing his style for the remainder of his career.
-walked along the harbor to La Rambla
-walked through the Gothic Quarter, stopping at the Cathedral and finding the oldest synagogue in Europe on our way -- the latter was SO exciting to find, because my mom had told me about it but I doubted we would have time to see it...Indeed, we did.  And we visited the next day :)
-stopped for some tapas
-walked around more and then had a free dinner and watched the soccer game (thank you, hostel!)

Chocolate Bambi!

Our first of many chocolates

Monday, November 7

-after another night of long sleep, we woke up and walked to a nearby bakery for some breakfast
-took the metro to Liceu and walked to the synagogue
-toured the synagogue, which was built in the 3rd century, and houses a Torah from the 16th century (and I got to use my Hebrew...spoke four languages (English, Dutch, Spanish, and Hebrew) in 4 days!!)
-walked through the food market
-took the metro to La Espanya, and made our way up to the Palau Nacional, home of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
-ate lunch with a panoramic view of Barcelona
-waled to the Olympic Stadium...more cool views
-walked down to Poble Espanyol, this crazy outdoor walking museum that was built in 1929 to represent a variety of cities throughout Spain.  There are contemporary art galleries with Spanish artists and lots of shops that represent the culture of the recreated city.
-walked back down to Placa Espanya...then walked a marathon underground to get to the train we needed, but the Klezmer music on the train kept us in good spirits
-stopped for some tapas and drinks
-walked around the square, and then had a DELICIOUS dinner
-back to hostel to pack and sleep...I really appreciated the rest we got on our trip!

Wall facing Jerusalem

(Color is super off on this one...But at least you can see I'm there!)

And this one's blurry, but there I am in the Gothic Quarter, outside La Sinagoga Mayor!

Just some meat on a stick...EWE

Palace...it is enormous.  So big, in fact, that they have escalators to help you make it to the top.  Much appreciated.

In the sculpture garden of Poble Espanyol

My favorite sculpture

Tuesday, November 8

-up at 9:30 to finish packing and check out
-breakfast on the go, as we walked to Casa Battlo -- The audio guide was super helpful in understanding Gaudi's life story and his inspiration for the masterpieces that fill Barcelona.  Moved by nature and its simplicities, Gaudi created his works to mimic the ocean, using curves and hardly any sharp edges.  His design is unlike any other but so practical and sensible.  The natural light in the home flows through each room, even those that do not face outside.  I was astonished at his ability to maintain a level of consistency throughout his works, even as they varied in their style and form. 
-took the metro to Parc Guell...no surprise, we were amazed
-took the metro and train back to the airport...EasyJet was only a tad bit more organized this time.
-got back to Amsterdam and I made my way home to drop off my stuff and pack dinner before running down the street to my 7-10 p.m. class (what a day!)

Inside the main room of Casa Battlo, looking out over the street.

View from the top of Parc Guell

I spy La Segura Familia! 

Surprisingly talented musician at the top of Parc Guell.  "All I need is three things: my instruments, water, and your dancing!"

All in all, the trip was really nice, and it was fun to travel with Agata.  I got a real kick out of using my Spanish again.  I did, however, feel a bit less enthused about traveling in general this go-round.  I have moved around a lot, and was still recuperating from Josh's visit, our trip to Paris, his leaving, and a week of craziness before our trip to Barcelona.  Last week, we had our CIEE midterm meeting, and all got slapped in the face with the reality of our time left here--it's scary if you see the next 40ish days as either a long or short time, and the check-in just kind of threw me off.  I also started a new class last week, "Moving Manhood: Masculinity and Sexual Citizenship from Cross-Cultural Perspectives," which shifted my routine.  And Hannah was out of town, so I was missing Kyle-Hannah-Becca time a lot.  And I had just finished booking my last trip of the semester, so I was a bit unnerved by the amount of traveling I'm doing throughout the course of the semester.

Seeing other countries in Europe was definitely a priority for me, and I am certainly glad to have fulfilled that goal.  At the same time, as my buds who are also abroad can confirm, traveling can be tiring and feel superficial.  While it is incredible to see so many different places, it is impossible to really get to know a place, to dig below the surface-level tourist attractions and initial reactions, when you are only there for a few days.  In the end, I am glad to be getting a taste of so many places, so I know where I may want to revist in the future.  Nonetheless, I have found that, on each of my trips, I have been SO happy to come home.  Amsterdam is the best city I've been to in Europe and I love it more than I could possibly explain.  When we were flying out of Amsterdam last Saturday, I got to see the city from above and it really is as tiny as they say...I found my dorm, and could name 15 streets without a problem from our plane.  I love that it is a city that feels like a small town.  It's wonderful.

In coping with the influx of different emotions last week, I reached out to some of my best friends from home, and am feeling a lot better about this period of realizing how much/little time I have left here.  It was great to talk with them and get excited about coming home because, once December 22 roles around, I am sure that I'll be leaving here kicking and screaming and asking myself why time has to move so fast.  At the same time, I am also ready and excited to move into this next phase of my experience with an open mind and the necessary eagerness to embrace every moment here.  I still have so many exciting things to do and see in Holland, and so many more relaxing afternoons to spend sipping coffee between canals :)
 

A Sense of Normalcy

I realize that most of my postings have been about travels or other events that reflect the heightened moments of excitement that occur quite frequently when you throw yourself into a new environment, and especially when your time is condensed into what become four very short months.  Yet another equally incredible aspect of being abroad, of coming to know a new place and make it your own, is the developing sense of normalcy with this new "home." 

Today was a great example of how great my day-to-day life here is, and how rewarding it is to treat "normal" daily activities as adventures.  On Sunday morning, I realized that starting my day by reading for pleasure made a drastic difference in my mood, and thus emerged this week's goal: read every morning before heading off for the day's activities...and this means reading before checking emails and tuning into the crazy black hole we call internet. 

So, this morning I enjoyed my breakfast and coffee while reading my book by the morning light pouring in my window.  Then, I set off to work at a cafe but stopped along the way at one of my favorite canal crossings to have a snack and watch boats go by as I let my feet dangle over the water.  I decided to get some reading done outside, because it's not so often that November 1st brings sunny, sleeveless shirt weather.  After finishing up my reading for Contemporary Dutch Social Policy, I reluctantly left my spot along the canal and biked over to Two for Joy Coffee Roasters, which smells like heaven on earth.  Coffee is among my best friends, so I thoroughly enjoyed the aroma as I went over my Social Justice and Development in the Global South readings. 

After Kyle joined me for a while at the cafe, I headed back home to have lunch and register for classes...so strange to do that from abroad!  There are about 17 classes I really want to take at Brandeis this spring, but I suppose that the difficulty choosing is a fortunate challenge to face.  A study abroad faculty member from Smith College is coming this Friday to visit some of the International Dorms that CIEE places its participants in during the semester, so I worked on re-taping some of my pictures and hanging up new posters this afternoon.  After a quick power nap, I walked down the street for my Social Justice and Development in the Global South class.  Our lecturer tonight is a former PhD student at the University of Amsterdam and is currently living and working in Bangkok on urban and environmental planning.  He spoke about the current mass flooding in Bangkok, covering everything from the history of flooding in this region to the political and social conditions that exacerbate the inevitable situation.  It was a lot of [emotionally upsetting] information to take in, but I definitely learned a lot and left class with my gears turning. 

Back at home, I hung out with Kyle and some friends from Occidental College who are visiting, talked to Josh and my parents, and worked on a collage of a bicycle I'm making for my wall.  Totally normal day.  Fantastic in so many ways.  And well worth acknowledging the little moments.  Life here is comfortable and reading along canals, holding entire interactions in Dutch, doing homework in cafes, and relaxing at home are normal and yet continuously exciting.

Finally Back Together! (Fall Break Re-Cap)

After an incredible summer in Cleveland with Josh, we said a sad "see you later" for our two month plus separation while I began my journey abroad and while he embarked on an equally exciting semester as a senior at Oberlin.  We spent the summer each riding our bikes 60 miles a week to and from work, plus the additional rides to see friends and family in the evening and longer ones for fun on weekends.  Somehow, we managed to check off almost everything on our "Cleveland Summer Bucket List," and were able to safely say that it was among the best summer of our lives, if not the best.

Right before a long ride at the end of the summer...in front of our house on Hessler.

Needless to say, it was difficult to leave and, although we have both had unspeakably fantastic semesters thus far, being back together is always the best of the best.  I was understandably excited and ultimately sleepless in the nights before he arrived, so we were both exhausted for his first day, but still managed to make it to some of the most beautiful parts of the city.  I loved watching the expression on his face as he marveled at the photographically uncapturable charm of Amsterdam's canal-enclosed city center and bicycle culture unlike any other.

After a much-needed long night of sleep on Thursday night, Josh was feeling much better and we spent the day walking around the city, stopping at the Rijks Museum and Amsterdam's most famous marketplace, Albert Cuyp, to pick up ingredients for dinner.  Back at home, we made a massive amount of masaman curry for a big Shabbat dinner with a bunch of my friends.  It was great to be back in the kitchen together, and the dinner preparations made us happily nostalgic about the past summer.

Saturday brought some quality market-hopping and the first of our series of picnics in the week to come.  Amsterdam has multiple markets every day, and the products range from strange toiletries and accessories to the most delicious organic cheeses, breads, and vegetables.  We ate along the Keizergracht canal--a truly Dutch thing to do on a nice weekend afternoon.

Sunday brought even more excitement with our departure to Paris.  Josh was especially excited to make it to the glorified Parisian landscape he has been reading about for years, and we were eager to experience this apparently romantic city with one another.  Many thanks to my Mom, who introduced us to Airbnb, a fantastic company that allows people to post their homes, and anyone who registers with Airbnb can book a stay in any given city.  I found a nice looking apartment a month ago, and we went through with the booking, fully recognizing that it could be either wonderful or a bust.  Lucky for us, it was hands-down the former.  Our host sent us perfect directions from Gare de Nord to her apartment and greeted us with a warm smile and only the best things to say about Paris.

View from the balcony...unreal.

Little sofa on the balcony.

Making our first round of espresso!

Didn't take us long to begin laughing with excitement, and to begin our repeated utterance of the question, "How are we allowed to be having this much fun??"  The apartment was actually not any more expensive than a two-person room in a hostel, and having the more local home-base definitely enhanced our experience.  There weren't any tourists in our neighborhood, and the local cafe around the corner was the perfect spot for our end-of-the-day decompression and morning cup of coffee.  Just so incredibly fun.  I really love traveling with friends, but traveling with your partner rules, especially in a city rightfully deemed the most romantic.

We spent our first afternoon and evening exploring the city and successfully making it to the Notre Dame before sunset.  Everything in Paris is so much bigger than in Amsterdam, which never feels overwhelming, especially architecturally.  Paris' beauty is far more grandiose in its massive buildings and stunning Catholic churches.  The cities aren't necessarily comparable, but it was quite the shock coming from small-scale Amsterdam.  Regardless, it was beautiful, as to be expected.

Crossing over the Seine for the first time.

Just some couples dancing...totally normal in Paris.

The setting sun's light against the Notre Dame.

My parents went to Paris while they were here several weeks ago, and my champion mother sent me a handy map marked up with the highlights from their trip.  Luckily, we were able to make it to the hidden falafel shop that Mom claimed is the best she has ever had.  I expected it would be difficult to measure up to Israeli falafel, Boston's falafel trucks and newly established restaurants that I frequent when at school, and Cleveland's West Side Market stand.  But, I took her word and, per usual, Mom steered me in the right direction.  It was fantastic, and we even got to whip out our Hebrew skills to order!

Aside from our discovery...the hard way...that the metro doors in Paris do not reopen when they detect something like, say, a body between them, the rest of the night was great.  (We tried to make a train that was about to leave and Josh's entire body, along with my arm, got stuck.  At least my bruise is pretty.)  We went to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night to top off our day and, although the cheesy music and weird tourist chachkes were somewhat unpleasant, the sight was incredible and we continued to be amazed at the structure's magnificence as we saw it from other points in the city.  The thing is HUGE!

We spent the rest of our time in Paris roaming little streets, stopping in practically every bakery we stumbled across.  Seemed as though after we finished one pastry or macaroon (thank you for the advice on those treats, Hannah!), we entered a new boulangerie for another delicacy.  And delicious they were.  My favorite were the almond croissant.  And the baguettes.  Practically melt in your mouth.

The language barrier was never a frustration; in fact, it was fun to recognize the hurdle but work past it using symbols, hand motions, and facial expressions.  My favorite was in a cheese shop we stumbled across somewhere along the Left Bank: We walked in and were greeted by three women wearing white aprons.  The stench of the shop was unreal.  Just imagine the smelliest brie you have ever smelled, and then magnify it by 10 and fill a whole shop with that.  I asked one of the women if she spoke English, and she responded, "French!"  Determined to find goat cheese, we communicated by pointing at pictures and shaking my head "no" when she knocked on the glass, to let her know my preference for soft cheese.  We left the shop with a stinky brie for Josh and chevre for me, and I was just about the happiest little camper there could be when I bit in.  We had a picnic dinner along the Seine -- Grandma's advice was correct: the baguette, cheese, fruit, and bottle of wine were the perfect menu for our riverside meal as we reflected on a day of wandering and art museum visiting.

We made it to the Musee de l'Orangerie and ended up visiting the Centre Pompidou (modern and contemporary art) twice.  The collection and design of the museum were an incredible combination, and I was able to get us in for free by convincing the ticket sellers that Josh and I are both students at the University of Amsterdam.  The accent I miraculously developed might have helped...

Breakfast :)

One of my favorite older couples we saw.  (Shout-out to "New York, I Love You," shuffling scene.)

One of the stunning churches we wandered into.

The best moments of our trip were those when we put the map and our plans away, and simply let our feet and impulsive choices on where to turn guide us to little side streets and local cafes.  Every street was more beautiful than the prior, and the old buildings were more than enough beauty to leave us hooked and loving the city.  Josh and I were great travel buddies: super light packers (the lightest our host has ever seen, in fact), champions at starting the day slowly with coffee and good food, practical enough to look at a map before the day and figure out directions to a few places but adventurous enough to be comfortable getting lost along the way, eager as ever to try new foods, and continuously looking reasons to laugh and have fun even when the skies open and drop down buckets of rain out of nowhere.

Breakfast on the balcony.  Goat cheese, brie, pear, baguette, pear tart, espresso...doesn't get much yummier.

"Do we really have to leave?"

View from the top of the Pompidou.

We definitely could have spent more time in Paris, but returning to Amsterdam was just as wonderful.  We made a detox dinner on Wednesday night: vegetables and tofu were practically all our bodies could handle after four straight days of bread, cheese, and meat in their richest forms.  Our date on Tuesday night was among the best meals of my life, and we definitely enjoyed every last bite of the desert, but we were definitely ready for some color and nutrients.

Picnic number 154287 along the Prinsengracht.  Think I could get used to this for a while :)

Home :)

Our week and a half visit was much needed and more exciting that we could have imagined.  Traveling together and biking around Amsterdam were dreams fulfilled, and simply seeing one another was the best gift of them all.  I am super grateful that we were able to pull together the funds and coordinate the timing to sort out his trip.  It was undoubtedly the best way to spend my fall break, and I am left feeling refreshed and ready to embrace the next two months with my fullest energy, while maintaining a certain level of comfort at the idea of returning back home in December to my family, friends, and Josh.  Time flies when you're having fun, and my Dad always tells me that if you blink, you miss it.  So I'm doing my absolute best to keep my eyes wide open to my every waking moment here.

Dutch word of the day:

Ik ben klaar met mijn Nederlandse klas. = I am finished with my Dutch class.

Dutch Word/Phrase Bucket:

Yoga = yoga 

Too Busy to Write!

Hello hello from the ever so lovely Amsterdam.  I'm writing a super fast post to confirm that I am, indeed, alive and well, just busier than ever.  Josh is here (HOORAY!) and has been for a week, so we've been really busy wandering around Amsterdam...and Paris.

I'm having the most amazing time with him, and we are just the happiest being back together after two months spent apart.  Long distance is challenging but well worth the wait.  I have many stories to share, but I'll save those for later this weekend when he heads back to Oberlin.  All I can say, though, is Paris is beautiful and I am happily stuffed with baguette, almond croissant, macaroons, and goat cheese.  And I'm with Josh.  All is good :)

YogaYoga

Goal #2 of my week was to finally make it to a yoga class.  I have found many different yoga centers in web searches but haven't carved out the time in my schedule to actually go.  The few times I have put "Yoga: 5-6:30" in my planner, activities with friends have tended to come up and I have overlooked the importance of my own time.  No more!  This week I realized how vital it is that I recognize time for myself as equally important as any other event or meeting in my planner.  I've even thought about using pen (gasp!) when writing "yoga" or "read" or "get lost on bike" in my planner, but I haven't quite gotten there yet...someday.

On Wednesday, I actually went to a studio that's not far from home, and it was great, but didn't really "click" as the perfect yoga class.  Still, way to go for making it there.   Even though I was sleepy and a little sore on Thursday, I made it over to yoga studio B, whose flyer I had found on my Tuesday cafe adventure, and entered happy to again grant myself a break from the rest of the world.  I walked in, and the instructor offered me tea...hooked already.  The studio was beautiful, lit only by the sunlight and a little beaded lamp.  The mats each had a pillow beside them, and the room was perfectly decorated without being distracting or overwhelming.  It smelled wonderful, infused with the scent of freshly brewed tea.

The class was only myself and one other student, so we had a lot of individual attention and the whole hour and a half felt both intimate and personal.  If I didn't feel like I broke enough of a sweat or that I wasn't sore enough after Wednesday's class at studio A, I was in for quite the awakening: we started with a deep relaxation and breathing and then moved into 20 minutes of sun salutations.  I pushed myself more than I had thought possible and really awoke muscles that had been sleeping for too long.  My teacher wasn't afraid to come over and readjust my positioning and, though it was somewhat painful at points, I couldn't believe how much I advanced my skills in just one class. 

I left feeling so refreshed and alive, and walked outside to a full moon and clear, starry sky.  It's moments like those when I don't really even know how or who to thank for the magnificence that has been abounding at recent.  I woke up this morning shocked at my near inability to move my arms, but here's to getting stronger!

Dutch word of the day:
Yoga = yoga (finally, an easy one!)

Dutch Word/Phrase Bucket:
ecologische rechtvaardigheid = environmental/ecological justice (very relevant to my Social Justice and Development in the Global South course)

Ik vond een nieuwe cafe in de Jordaan, en het is heerlijk! = I found a new cafe in the Jordaan, and it is lovely!

Ik hou van mijn zus, Sarah, meer dan iets anders. = I love my sister more than anything else.  
Het is herfst, maar het weer maakt het gevoel dat het is zomer! = It is fall, but the weather makes it feel like it is summer!
Ik hou van de koffie in de ochtend. = I love having coffee in the morning.
Elke dag, heb ik een broodje met heerlijk kaas voor de lunch. = Every day, I have a sandwich with delicious cheese for lunch.

groen = green (Mijn fiets is groen = My bike is green)

geitenkaas = goat cheese (Geitenkaas is mijn favoriete voedse! = Goat cheese is my favorite food!)   

fiestpad = bike path
keo = cow
koffie = coffee
regendruppels = raindrops
goedenacht = goodnight

Goal Accomplishment

Traveling this past weekend was awesome, but coming home was just as wonderful.  I've had to recreate my own room, my supposed sanctuary, many times since graduating from high school two and a half years ago.  The minor changes in which photographs I put up and where I place my scarves, books, tea, and other little essentials often consume much of my energy when I first arrive in my new room.  I was always the last camper out the cabin door after unpacking, because I was so into organizing my space and making it feel more like my home away from home.  The first night of college, I spent hours hanging photographs and rearranging my closet and everything on my desk.  And, when I got here, I definitely spent some time orienting myself with the room and, over the first few weeks, definitely tried to make this unnecessarily large room feel cozy and more homey.  Although I feel fairly successful with my decorations (each of the quotable cards Mom has sent me are hanging on my wall, along with many pictures of family and home, camp, and college friends), I have felt much more of an urge to incorporate neighborhood/local discoveries into my idea of developing this new home.


One of my classes with CIEE (my abroad organization) focuses a lot on how we adjust to being abroad, and encourages us to set and monitor personal goals throughout the semester.  Both before coming and during my time here, I have continuously looked forward to cafe finding adventures on my own.  So, today's goal was to head off on my bike, despite the morning drizzle, in search of a new cafe where I can grab a coffee and work or go out for a drink at night with a few friends.  Rules: 1) no maps or ideas of where to go before leaving; 2) decide which way to turn only right before the intersection, and no changing my mind; 3) bike for at least 15 minutes before stopping--it's important to get away from my immediate neighborhood; 4) get lost on the way; 5) once bike is parked, walk around the area for at least 10 minutes; 6) cafe must be situated close to a bakery; 7) pick a cafe; 8) order in Dutch; 9) write down the location!


Luckily, I was entirely successful in my search and thus spent the afternoon blogging and reading in a wonderful cafe that is, indeed, a 20 minute bike ride from my room.  Okay, there is actually a much faster way of getting there, but the pretty way is obviously preferable.  I was so pleased with the environment inside: lit purely by candles and the light from the sunroof, great mellow music, cool people, and the drinks and food were not expensive.  Definitely revisiting.


Dutch phrase of the day:


ecologische rechtvaardigheid = environmental/ecological justice (very relevant to my Social Justice and Development in the Global South course)

Dutch word/phrase bucket:

Ik vond een nieuwe cafe in de Jordaan, en het is heerlijk! = I found a new cafe in the Jordaan, and it is lovely!

Ik hou van mijn zus, Sarah, meer dan iets anders. = I love my sister more than anything else.  
Het is herfst, maar het weer maakt het gevoel dat het is zomer! = It is fall, but the weather makes it feel like it is summer!
Ik hou van de koffie in de ochtend. = I love having coffee in the morning.
Elke dag, heb ik een broodje met heerlijk kaas voor de lunch. = Every day, I have a sandwich with delicious cheese for lunch.

groen = green (Mijn fiets is groen = My bike is green)

geitenkaas = goat cheese (Geitenkaas is mijn favoriete voedse! = Goat cheese is my favorite food!)   

fiestpad = bike path
keo = cow
koffie = coffee
regendruppels = raindrops
goedenacht = goodnight